The idea of taxing things that are bad for society has a powerful allure. It offers the possibility of a double benefit —(26)_____ harmful activities, while also providing the government with revenue.
Take sin taxes. Taxes on alcohol make it more expensive to get drunk, which reduces excessive drinking and (27)_____ driving. At the same time, they provide state and local governments with billions of dollars of revenue. Tobacco taxes, which generate more than twice as much, have proven (28)_____ in the decline of smoking, which has saved millions of lives.
Taxes can also be an important tool for environmental protection, and many economists say taxing carbon would be the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Economic theory says that unlike income or sales taxes, carbon taxes can actually increase economic efficiency; because companies that (29)_____ carbon dioxide into the sky don’t pay the costs of the climate change they cause, carbon taxes would restore the proper (30)_____ to the market.
In reality, carbon taxes alone won’t be enough to halt global warming, but they would be a useful part of any climate plan. What’s more, the revenue from this tax, which would (31)_____ be hundreds of billions of dollars per year, could be handed out to citizens as a (32)_____ or used to fund green infrastructure projects.
Similarly, a wealth tax has been put forward as a way to reduce inequality while raising revenue. The revenue from this tax, which some experts (33)_____ will be over $4 trillion per decade, would be designated for housing, child care, health care and other government benefits. If you believe, as many do, that wealth inequality is (34)_____ bad, then these taxes improve society while also (35)_____ government coffers (金库).
